Shield AI
Principal Technical Program Manager, Ranger
San Diego, California · Principal · Full-time · Posted Oct 14, 2026
- Experience
- 10+ years of progressive experience in aerospace engineering, technical program management, or complex hardware and software development.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
- Visa sponsorship
- Active U.S. security clearance.
About the job
Leads integrated execution of the U.S. Air Force Ranger aircraft development program from planning and systems integration through prototype demonstration, flight testing, and production readiness.
What you'll do
- Own the program baseline, coordinating engineering deliverables, hardware, suppliers, integration, testing, and customer milestones.
- Translate customer needs into executable plans, success criteria, priorities, and verification milestones.
- Manage cross-functional delivery, customer commitments, risks, affordability, and the path to production.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in aerospace engineering, technical program management, or complex hardware and software development.
- Experience leading a major aircraft, spacecraft, unmanned system, or similarly integrated aerospace program through significant development and test milestones.
- Experience owning integrated schedules, budgets, risks, and cross-functional delivery; working directly with government customers or major aerospace partners.
Nice to have
- Experience with Group 5 unmanned aircraft, clean-sheet aircraft development, or rapid aerospace prototyping.
- Familiarity with Air Force acquisition programs and competitive prototype-to-production efforts.
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative